I have PIC development stuff and have used
16F84 and 16F877 etc in some hobby and commercial
apps. I use MPLAB for programming, and use the
simulator sometimes.

I am considering going to Scenix for a new
commercial app as it would be nice to have the
higher execution speed. :o) I am currently using
16F84A at 20MHz (5MHz inst). I need 13 IO pins
but a couple more pins wouldn't hurt.
I want flash chips, I can't stand messing with
windowed chips.

So;
* Which Scenix chip is similar size/price?
* Can I still code in MPLAB?
* If not, does Scenix have a IDE/sim?
* Are the Scenix chips reliable/obtainable?
(my firm relies on the PIC for availability etc)
* How stiff is the re-learning? I have limited time.

I have spent an hour browsing the Scenix.com site
but will need a lot more hours before I am ready
to make that decision to start developing on a
whole new family of chips and investing time and
money in new development tools.
I guess some of you SX guys did just what I'm
contemplating, and I really would appreciate a
few tips! :o)
-Roman

* SX28 (a bit more expensive, and actually closer to the 16c5x, but with
some nice extra instructions and flash programmable and much faster)
* Yes you can use MPLAB (just tell it you are programming a 16c54) with
macros for the extra instructions but you won't be able to make use of the
in circuit debugging from MPLAB. You can use the SXKey for the ICD and use
macros to make it understand MPLAB style instructions. See:http://www.sxlist.com/ubicom/inst.htm for details

* If you forgo the in circuit debugging and don't learn the "Parallax"
mnemonics (stay with MPLAB or use the MPLAB macros with the SXKey) and skip
learning the new instructions, there is * zero * learning curve. See:http://www.sxlist.com/ubicom/picreplace.htm

The Sx18AC is an 18 pin device with the same pinout as the PIC16C84. The
SX28AC is a 28 pin device with the "old" pinout. The SX18AC is $5.00 and
the SX28Ac is $5.54 from Mouser Electronics here in the U.S.

I use small quantities so I can't help on availability details.

Both devices have 2K 12-bit words of program memory. Neither have
internal user EEPROM. :-(

Since these are the 12-bit core, there are a few instructions missing.
In addition, there are more severe bank and page restrictions as
compared to the 14-bit core PIC's. A few instructions have been added to
partially deal with these irritants.

Parallax Advanced Transdata and other vendors have in-circuit
programmers and debuggers. Programmers are less than a hundred dollars
and debuggers a a few hundred dollars.

Your PIC programmer cannot program the SX parts. You can, however use
the MPASM assembler and to some extent the MPLab simulator with the SX
since the SX can be used in a completely PIC compatible mode. The catch
is that if you use the SX op-code extensions the PIC simulator can no
longer be used. You _do_ want to use the new op-codes.

I use a set of MPASM macros for MPASM, called SXDEFS.inc, to let me
write and assemble a program. Once the program is assembled, I use a
Parallax SX-Key to do the programming.

There are SX simulators available. The one I use was written by Loren
Blaney and is called called SXSIM.

>
> Hi, hope this is not an annoying question.
>
> I have PIC development stuff and have used
> 16F84 and 16F877 etc in some hobby and commercial
> apps. I use MPLAB for programming, and use the
> simulator sometimes.
>
> I am considering going to Scenix for a new
> commercial app as it would be nice to have the
> higher execution speed. :o) I am currently using
> 16F84A at 20MHz (5MHz inst). I need 13 IO pins
> but a couple more pins wouldn't hurt.
> I want flash chips, I can't stand messing with
> windowed chips.
>
> So;
> * Which Scenix chip is similar size/price?
> * Can I still code in MPLAB?
> * If not, does Scenix have a IDE/sim?
> * Are the Scenix chips reliable/obtainable?
> (my firm relies on the PIC for availability etc)
> * How stiff is the re-learning? I have limited time.
>
> I have spent an hour browsing the Scenix.com site
> but will need a lot more hours before I am ready
> to make that decision to start developing on a
> whole new family of chips and investing time and
> money in new development tools.
> I guess some of you SX guys did just what I'm
> contemplating, and I really would appreciate a
> few tips! :o)
> -Roman
>
> --
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